Chris Sutton felt Steven Gerrard threw his players "under the bus" following the defeat to Kilmarnock and accused Rangers of 'bottling' the title bid.
The Rangers boss saw his side throw away a 1-0 lead at Rugby Park to lose 2-1 and slip 10 points behind Celtic, and afterward he questioned the mentality of his squad.
That interview was broadcast on BT Sport and pundit Sutton felt Gerrard had hung his players out to dry.
He said: "The question is: what happened during the break?
"Is he going to analyse himself with that? It's good to hear him come out and take responsibility.
"But what I find worrying, and if I was a Rangers supporter this is what I'd find worrying - the manager questioning the team's mentality, calling them weak.
"This happened last season. I think the truth is that they went into the break and thought they'd cracked it after the victory at Celtic Park.
"Odsonne Edouard in an article I saw today said that was the best thing that could happen to them (Celtic), losing that game.
"Because they have gone again. And they do seem to be strong mentally.
"But I wouldn't be happy sitting in the dressing room if the manager is calling out me for having weak mentality.
"It was good to hear him take responsibility but this is the team Steven Gerrard has built. This is his team. He hasn't just walked into the job. He's brought the players with the weak mentality.
"He has moulded the team with the weak mentality - is he not just chucking the players under the bus again?"
Later though, Sutton did agree that the Rangers players hadn't stepped up.
"(Ianis) Hagi, a lot of talk about him but he didn't turn up tonight. I'll keep going back to Ryan Kent.
"As a loan player he was superb in a Rangers jersey. You pay £7million you want that game changer, you want that difference maker - have we seen enough of that?
"The big players haven't turned up after the break for Rangers, that's the difference.
"What is it, eight points out of 15 they've dropped?
"Honestly, I didn't see it this season. I bought into what happened at Celtic Park because it was such an assured performance. Celtic were lucky in the cup final.
"But they have come back and they have bottled it so far.
"I said 'bottled it', strong words - but the manager has called them weak."
